Malariotherapy is a treatment which uses a curable form of malaria to induce an immune reaction which can combat another disease. Its most common application has been in the treatment of neurosyphilis, where its effectiveness was demonstrated as far back as 1918.

Malariotherapy has been tested in a clinical setting on eight patients in the USA and did not have adverse consequences, but a randomised controlled trial remains to be conducted. It is theorized that malariotherapy might cause an increase in levels of cytokines which can suppress HIV replication and boost cellular immune control of the virus.

Key research

Heimlich inoculated eight HIV-positive patients with P.vivax. The first two participants experienced significant CD4 count increases that remained at normal levels two years later. The other six have remained clinically well during the first 6 months of follow-up.

References

Heimlich HJ et al. Malariotherapy for HIV patients. Mech Ageing Dev 93(1-3):79-85, 1997.